Hosiery package



May 24, 1966 w. J. BARON ETAL 3,252,567

HOSIERY PACKAGE Filed Aug. 31, 1962 \1 INVENTOR WILLIAM J. BARON Ema/r P. FOUR/WEI? United States Patent This invention relates generally to an improved form of display package for hosiery, and specifically relatesto such a package for shipping, marketing, and displaying socks having a natural inherent resiliency.

A principal objective of this invention is to provide a packaging arrangement wherein a perspective customer of hosiery is provided with a three-dimensional view of the hose in its stressed or expanded condition. A three-dimensional stressed view of the hosiery is of particular value in styles commonly known as Argyles, as their rich color pattern is enhanced when an exact representation of how the sock will look on the leg of a wearer is presented to the purchaser.

Another important objective of this invention is to pro-- vide a hosiery package wherein the mates of a pair of hosiery are easily and neatly handled by the customer with little chance of separation between a mating pair.

Another very important objective of the invention is to provide a packaging arrangement which, although compressible for shipping purposes, is naturally and normally tensioned to an expandable three dimensional form by the natural resiliency of the hosiery itself. In addition, the unattractive foot portion of the hosiery is hidden from view, and in a manner to aid the overall three-dimensional effect.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a hosiery package which provides means to substantially eliminate the need for such costly elements as riders and diaper bands, conventionally used by packaging arrangements where the stretched goods are displayed in a flat state.

A still further objective of the invention is to provide a hosiery package which readily assumes various three-dimensional shapes that facilitate the marketing and displaying of groups of hosiery in a single container.

Another important objective of the invention is to provide a retailer with a hosiery package permitting display on a disarranged bargain type table with a very minimum chance of the mating hosiery becoming separated while providing the purchaser with complete freedom of inspection.

Althoughthe prior art is familiar with packaging displays in which the elastic hose are displayed and mounted on insert type apparatus, an economical and convenient way to display hosiery in their present, as actually worn form was heretofore unavailable.

These and other important objectives and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective of a tubular, mounting element;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of the mounting element with a pair of mating socks being applied thereto;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the assembled pack;

FIGURE 4 is another view of the assembled pack ready for display;

FIGURE 5 discloses a further means for displaying the packaging arrangement;

FIGURE 6 shows a plurality of the package displays for use as a single unit;

FIGURE 7 is a disclosure of a convenient display package peculiarly adapted for use with the present structure of FIGS. I-4; and

FIGURE 8 is a showing of a package unit being mounted in the apparatus of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like elements of the invention, the numeral 10 indicates a mounting tube to which a pair of mating socks 12 and 14 are applied. The tube may be manufactured of cardboard, plastic or the like, and preferably has suflicient resiliency such that it may assume a variety of crosssectional configuration. The circumference of the tube is sufficient to maintain the ankle portion of a sock in a tensioned, or stressed condition, when inserted therein. The tube is open at its ends 16 and 18, and is perforated at the end 16 by the diametrically opposed apertures 20 and 22. A border line 24 divides the longitudinal length of the tube into a sock receiving section 26 and an advertising section 28.

The ankle portion of the socks are indicated by the numerals 12a and 14a, and the foot portions thereof are in dicated by the numerals 12b and 14b. The sock receiving section 26 is approximately of the same length as ankle portions 12b and 1411.

In assembly, the socks are mounted on the tube by pulling the ankle portion 12a over substantially the full length of the tube. At this point the foot portion 12b is hanging freq-rand the open end of the ankle portion is adjacent the border line 24. The foot portion 12b is then tucked into the interior of the tube as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2. In a similar manner, the ankle portion 14a is inserted over the tube, but also encompasses the ankle port-ion 12a of sock 12. The foot portion 14b of sock 14 at this point will be hanging freely, as shown in FIG. 2. The foot portion 14b is likewise tucked into the interior of the tube (and into the interior of foot portion 12b), as shown in FIG. 3.

The perspective of FIG. 4 discloses a sock in a novel and improved form for marketing and display. The length of the tube is sufiiciently long to provide the identification for advertising area 28. Also an inspection of FIG. 4 will show that the aligned apertures 20 and 22 conveniently provide a means whereby the socks may be hung on a nail, hook, or a like support. It should be noted that even though the cardboard tube may have been compressed during shipping, the natural tension supplied by the sock itself is sufficient to urge the tube toward its lease cross-sectional area and thereby provide a curved or three-dimensional display to the purchasing public. Aiding in this curvilinear effect are the foot portions which, while hidden from view, prevent the tube from becoming completely flattened.

The curvilinear nature of the package readily lends itself to a plurality of novel and unique packaging arrangements. FIG. 5, for instance, discloses a window type unit 31 wherein the ankle portion of the outer sock protrudes and is thus attractively displayed to the public.

FIG. 6 shows how a plurality of tubular units may be displayed in a single enclosed transparent plastic container such as that indicated by the numeral 33. The packages 32, 34, and 36 are deformed to pie-shaped crosssectional segments by bands 35, and grouped together by a band 37 to form a combined unit 38 having circular" cross-section. It should be understood, of course, that a variety of cross-sectional forms are available by different groupings of display units.

FIGS. 7 and 8 disclose a semi-rigid type enclosure which is also uniquely adapted for use with the packaging arrangement disclosed in FIGS. 14. A packaging support 40 is comprised basically of a unit 42, of elliptical cross-section, enclosing an inverted cup shaped element 44, of smaller, but like, elliptical cross-section. The member 44 is closed at its upper end 46 to the lower ends of the units are connected by annular surface 56. The outer cylinder 42 and the inner unit 44 define an annular recess 58 therebetween in which the tubular element 10 is slidingly received. The upstanding inner member 46 is inserted into the foot portions 12b and 14b of the socks, as seen in FIG. 8. The inner unit gradually tapers toward the top 46 for ease of insertion into the foot portions 12b and 14b. This last display provides a packaging combination which displays the sock in a most attractive form, and yet is virtually indestructible while on the marketing counter.

In a general manner, While there has been disclosed in the above description, what is deemed to be the most practical and efficient embodiment of the invention, it should be well understood that the invention is not limited to such an embodiment as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A display and shipping unit comprising a plurality of tubular, elongated substantially triangular shaped support members each having at least one open end leading to the interior thereof, a first sock of some resiliency having an ankle portion and a foot portion for each of said support members wherein each ankle portion surrounds its respective support member in a tensioned state and each foot portion extends into said open end and into the interior of its respective support member, a second sock substantially identical to the first mentioned sock for each of said support members and having its ankle portion surrounding the first mentioned ankle-portion and its foot portion extending into the open end and into the interior of its respective support member, an outer band for each of said deformable support members for maintaining said members in substantial triangular configuration, and a stiiT retaining band surrounding all of said members and holding them together as a group when the apices of the respective triangular shaped members are placed in substantial touching relationship to thereby form a single unit. 1

2. The-combination set forth in claim 1 and further including a container housing said unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,057,472 10/1962 Douty. 

1. A DISPLAY AND SHIPPING UNIT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR, ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR SHAPED SUPPORT MEMBERS EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE OPEN END LEADING TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF, A FIRST SHOCK OF SOME RESILIENCY HAVING AN ANKLE PORTION AND A FOOT PORTION FOR EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS WHEREIN EACH ANKLE PORTION SURROUNDS ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER IN A TENSIONED STATE EACH FOOT PORTION EXTENDS INTO SAID OPEN END SAID INTO THE INTERIOR OF ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER, A SECOND SOCK SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL TO THE FIRST MENTIONED SOCK FOR EACH OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS AND HAVING ITS ANKLE PORTION SURROUNDING THE FIRST MENTIONED ANKLE-PORTION AND ITS FOOT PORTION EXTENDING INTO THE OPEN END AND INTO THE INTERIOR OF ITS RESPECTIVE SUPPORT MEMBER, AN OUTER BAND FOR EACH OF SAID DEFORMABLE SUPPORT MEMBERS FOR MAINTAINING SAID MEMBERS IN SUBSTANTIAL TRIANGULAR CONFIGURATION, AND A STIFF RETAINING BAND SURROUNDING ALL OF SAID MEMBERS AND HOLDING THEM TOGETHER AS A GROUP WHEN THE APICES OF THE RESPECTIVE TRIANGULAR SHAPED MEMBERS ARE PLACED IN SUBSTANTIAL TOUCHING RELATIONSHIP TO THEREBY FORM A SINGLE UNIT. 